Table or stand.



No. 729,432. PATENTED MAY 26, 1903.

Y I L. B. & H. T. SIDWAY.

TABLE OR STAND.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1901.

10 MODEL.

UNITED STAT S Patented May 26, 1903."

PATENT OFFICE.

LEvERnTr B. sInwAY AND HENRY T. SIDWAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TABLE OR STAND.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 729,432, dated May 26, 1903. Application filed April 29, 1901. Serial No. 57,938. (No model-l To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we. LEVERETT B. SIDWAY and HENRY T. SIDWAY, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tables or Stands, of which the following is a 1 specification.

The objects of the invention are to construct a table or stand that can be converted from one having the standard or support at the center to one having the standard or support at one end, and this without inconvenience and trouble in'making the change, thereby combining in one structure a table or stand adapted for ordinary use with a central stand ard orzsupport, or for' use with a bed, lounge, or other article of furniture over which the top of the table or stand can be projected for use, to so support the top of the table or stand as to enable it to be tipped at any angle of inclination desired or into approximately a vertical position, so as to be set away and occupy but a small space, to permit the top of the table or stand to be turned in a horizontal plane, so as to extend lengthwise or crosswise of the base, to have the parts which enter into the construction of the table or stand separable one from the other for taking the table or stand apart or knocking it down for 1 shipment or storing away-and at the same time have the parts assembled without any special skill on the part of the one who sets the stand up, and to improve generally the construction and operation of the parts of the table or stand as a whole.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings illustrating the invention, Figure l is a side elevation showing the table or stand with its topin a horizontal plane and at a point of low adjustment and with the clutch for enabling the top to be turned at an inclination engaged; .Fig. 2, asimilar view to Fig. 1 with the top raised into'a higher plane as compared with the position of the top in Fig. 1 and with the clutch which enables the top to be turned at any desired angle of inclination disengaged; Fig. 3, a de-- tail in sectional elevation showing the top of the table or stand set inclined; Fig. 4, an enlarged detail showing the clutch for enabling the top of the table or stand to be set at an inclination or be held in a horizontal plane; and Fig. 5, a detail of the clasp and its stud or tenon for turning the top of the table or stand lengthwise or crosswise, as may be desired.

The table or stand is'constructed with a topA, of wood or other suitable material, of

the required dimensions as to length, breadth, and thickness for the requirements of the table or stand in use. The under, side of the top at the ends and centrally of its width in the constiguction'shown has secured thereto loops or stirrups a, one near each end, and

into these loops or stirrups is entered and secured the ends of a rod or tube B, so as to have the rod central of the top longitudinally. The tube or rod B has thereon a clasp C, in

which the rod can be. locked fixedly bya setscrew 1) or in any other suitable manner so long as the construction is one which will at an inclination is attained in the arrange-j ment shown by means of a clutch formed of two sections D and E, of a construction which, with the sections of the clutch disengaged, allows the top to be turned at an incline, and with the sections engaged holds the top in its adjusted position. The section D of the clutch,

as shown, has a tubular socket or head 01,

into which is entered a stud or tenon 0, projecting from the clasp or tenon C, which permits the table-top to be swung or turned so as to stand endwise or crosswise of the base or in such other position as may be desired, and,-as shown, the table-top after being turned into the desired position is held in that position by a set-screw orbolt c passing through the wall of the socket or head d for its end to engage the-face of the stud or tenon, as shown in Fig. 5. The section D of the clutch has an ear or disk at, having on its inner face an annular rim or wall d with a serrated ortoothed edge, and the section Eot the clutch has a socket or head 6 and an ear or disk e, having on its inner face an annular wall or rim 6 with serrations or teeth in its edge, so that when the serrations or teeth of the rims or walls (1 and e are engaged, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the two sections of the clutch will be locked one to the other, and with the serrations or teeth of the rims or walls disengaged, as shown in Fig. 2,the section D of the clutch can be turned so as to set the top of the table at an incline on either side of the standard. The sections of the clutch when interlocked are held in engagement in the construction shown by a rod or bolt F, one end of which is firmly secured in the ear or disk d for the body of the bolt or stem to pass-through the ear or disk 6 and extend beyond the face of the ear or disk, and, as shown, the extreme end of the bolt or stem has screw-threaded thereon an adjusting-nut f, between which audthe face of the ear or disk isa coil-springf,havingasuflicienttension to draw and hold the two sections of the clutch in engagement. The clutch-sections are disengaged by pressing on the end of the bolt or stem so as to force the cl utch-section D away from the clutch-section E sufficiently to separate the two serrated or toothed rims or walls, as shbwn in Fig. 2, and with the release of the pressure the spring acts and forces the serrated or toothed rims or walls into en: gagement. By advancing the nut the spring can be contracted, so as to act and firmly lock the clutch-sections together and make a tight and solid connection.

The socket or head 6 of the clutch-section E has entered thereinto and secured therein the upper end of a sliding rod or tube G,Whichrod or tube enters a tubular post or standard I-I, so that the rod 'or tube and the post or standard together form an extensible stand-' The upperv ard or support for the table-top. end of the tubular post or standard 11 has thereon a socket or guide h, through which the rod or tube G passes, and, as shown, the rod or tube G is held in its adjusted position when raised or lowered by a set-screw g passing through the wall of the guide or socket for its end to engage the face of the sliding rod or tube. The lower end of the pdst or standard H is entered into a socket or head I, extending out from which on four sides are legs I, each leg having in the construction shown a caster-wheel z" to rest on the floor: The legs furnish a bearing for the table or stand when the standard or upright is at the center of the top; but with the standard or upright at one end of the top an additional support must be provided, and for this purpose the lower end of the socket or head I in the construction shown is in the form of a square tenon i, which enters a corresponding hole in the inner end of a supplementary leg J, and theinner end of the supplementary leg can be locked to the tenon byaset-screw j, as shown,or in'any other suitable manner. The supplementary leg must have a length for its outer end to extend a suflicient distance outward to form a support which will prevent the table from tipping when the top is overhung, and this supplementary leg is detachably connected, so that it can be attached and detached, according as to whether the table or stand is to have a central-supported top or an overhung top, and the exact manner shown for attaching and detachingthe top is to be level or in a horizontal plane the clutch between the top and the upright or standard is engaged so as to'support' and maintain the top in a level or horizontal plane, and to set the top at an inclination the clutch is disengaged by endwise pressure on the bolt or stem to separate the two sections of the clutch, when the table-top can be turned to the inclination desired, and when the angle of inclination is reached the pressure on the bolt or stem is removed and the spring forces the two sections of the clutch into an engagement, holding the top in its inclined position. For use as a table or stand having an overhung top the clasp or head on clasp or head is again locked to the rod, so

that the table-top will overhang from the standard or upright. The supplementary leg is then attached to extend in the direction of the overhang of the top, completing the table or stand for use as one having an overhanging top whichcan be projected or extended over a bed, lounge, or other article where it is necessary or desired to have a table or stand for use. It will thus be seen that the table or stand can be readily changed or converted from one having its top centrally supported to one having its top supported at one end, so as to overhang from the supporting standard or upright, as all that is required or necessary to make the change is to loosen the clamp or head for the horizontal rod underneath the table-top and move such rod, with the top, endwise, as required, to bring the top into its overhung position, and

the top can be returned to have a central suptionary standard or upright by sliding the an overhung top can be obtained, and this -without any change in the parts, except in changing the location of the top in relation to the standard or upright, and such changing of the top in relation to the standard or upright does not change the operation of the parts by which the top can be turned soas to stand lengthwise or crosswise of the base or by which the top-can be set at diflferent anglesvor inclination on either side-of the standard or upright, as these parts will operate no matter whether the center of the table-top is in line withthevstandard or upright orwhether one end of the table-top is in line with the standard or upright.

A table or stand which can be converted so asto form a table or stand for use as an ordinary center table or one adapted for use over a bed, lounge, or-other article of furniture is valuable and meritorious, as .the same table can be utilized for both conditions of use. A v

The benefits and advantages of a stationary or fixed standard or upright and a slidable table-top for use therewith can be obtained without following the specific details of construction shown. The rod beneath the tabletop could have its ends turned and provided with flattened portions for attachment to the table-top, dispensing with the ears or loops.

The clasp could be of a semispring forma-' tion, and the form of clutch could be changed,

and these changes would not depart from the spirit of theinvention, which isa fixed or stationary standard or upright, and a top slidably mounted so that its relative position to the standard or upright can be changed for the'standard or upright to have a central relation to the top or to have an end relation thereto, for the top to overhang.

What we regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a table or stand, the combination of a solid top having a horizontal rod fixedly attached on the underside thereof, a clasp on the rod through which the rod can slide and in which the rod can be held, a standard or upright and a clutch connection between the upper end of the standard or upright, and the clasp, consisting" of two companion sections, one of which is fixedly attached to the standard or upright, a connecting bolt or stem and a retaining-spring by which means the entire table-top maybe tilted, substantially as described.

2. In a table or stand, the combination of a top, a horizontal rod or tube fixed to the underside of the top, a clasp provided with a stud or tenon and mounted on the rod or tube in which the rod or tube is slidable and by which the rod or tube is held, a stationary standard or upright, a clutch connection between the upper end of the standard or upright and theclasp, formed of two sections each section having a socket, one socket receiving the stud or tenon on the clasp and the other socket receiving the upper end of the standard or upright, a connectin gbolt or stem for the clutch-sections, an adjusting-nut. on the bolt or stem, and a coil-spring encircling the bolt or stem between the nut and the -clutch, substantially as described.

3. In a table or stand, the combination of a top tiltably mountedya stationary standard or upright, a sliding connection between the top and the standard or upright, a complete self supporting base for the standard or upright, fitted for attachment thereto of a supplementaryleg, and a supplementary leg at-.

tachable to and removable from the base, substantially as described.

4. In a table or stand, the combination of a solid top and a stationary standard or upright, a sliding connection between the top and the standard or upright by which the top may be centrally supported or supported at either end, a complete self-supporting base for the standard or upright provided with a downwardly-extending projection for the attachment thereto of a supplementary leg, and a supplementary leg for the base attachable to the base when the top is-supported at one end and entirely removable from the base when the top is centrally supported, substantially as described.

LEVERETT B. SIDWAY.

HENRY T. SIDWAY.-

Witnesses:

THOMAS E. MCGREGOR, SAMUEL W. BANNING. 

